Magazine and tumbler pin selecting device



Sept.. 27, 1966 M. G. ROLAND 3,274,573

MAGAZINE AND TUMBLER PIN SELECTING DEVICE Filed June 2l, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet l l|| lill I p--4 l I N V E NTOR.

3 Sheets-Sheetl 2 Sept. 27, 1966 M. G. ROLAND MAGAZINE AND TUMBLER PIN SELECTING DEVICE Filed June 21, 1965 INVENTOR, @RWM/.a

"mwah/y luulllllll! Sept. 27, 1966 M. G. ROLAND 3,274,673

MAGAZINE AND TUMBLER PIN SELECTING DEVICE Filed June 21, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

M4K G'. ROLAND.

United States Patent O 3,274,673 MAGAZINE AND TUMBLER PIN SELECTING DEVICE Max G. Roland, San Carlos, Calif., assignor to Maromatic Company, Inc., Burlingame, Calif., a corporation of California Filed June 21, 1965, Ser. No. 465,274 6 Claims. (Cl. 29-211) This invention relates to a means for automatically selecting from segregated groups of tumbler pins for a tumbler lock key plug and is more particularly a continuation-in-part of my co-pending application Serial Number 378,314, led June 26, 1964, now Patent No. 3,226,811, granted January 4, 1966, and entitled Tumbler Lock Pin Setting Machine.

At the present time, key plug locks are generally assembled by hand and the most ditiicult aspect in the assembly of the key plug of tumbler locks is the determination of the proper lengths of the tumbler pins to be inserted in the chambers of the lock key plug so that the selected pins will cooperate with the configuration or bits of a particular lock key and establish a uniform shear line between the key plug and the lock cylinder when the key is inserted in the lock.

While `other aspects of key plug lock assemblies, such as the insertion of springs and drive pins of uniform length is relatively simple, the determination of the proper lengths of tumbler pins to be inserted in the key plug is a time-consuming task and requires skilled labor. With the visual hunt and try system this is also expensive and ineiiicient. Attempts have been made in the past to provide machines or apparatus for automatically assembling the components of key plug locks, but such machines have for a variety of reasons proved unreliable as they have to be setto a predetermined complex pattern and elaborate programming involving manual visual inspection and operations.

An object of my invention is the provision of the device which rst selects the proper lengths of tumbler pins to be delivered to the key plug of a tumbler lock from a pin supply magazine and subsequently delivers said tumbler pins of appropriate lengths to the corresponding chambers of a key plug.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a device by which the locks to be assembled can be chosen in .a random manner so that a completely different tumbler pattern may be established from lock to lock, or determined solely by the conguration of the particular key to be utilized in the lock.

Other objects and advantages will be in part evident to those skilled in the art and in part pointed out hereinafter in the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein there is shown by way of illustration and not in limitation of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary side view partially in section showing a movable tumbler pin supply magazine with operating means for moving same into different positions for the discharge of tumbler pins therefrom.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary view looking upwardly at the magazine operating means as shown in FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary and side view partially in section and with parts added, looking toward the right of FIGURE `l,

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the assembly as shown in FIGURE 3,

FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic view showing a control feature of the pin distributing magazine, and

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FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary view similar to FIGURE l with parts omitted,

Reference is now made to FIGURE 1 of the accompanying drawings fora detailed description of the mechanical aspects of the tumbler lock pin setting machine contemplated by my above identified parent application. In this showing the numeral 10 designates a tumbler pin carrying magazine that is supplied with properly oriented tumbler pins from a plurality of vibratory type bowls which properly orient the tumbler pins and feed the pins through ten connecting tubes 11. These tubes 11 may be of plastic material, but in practice it has been found that spirally wound wire tubing is preferred .as tubes in this form have the desired exi'bility. The magazine 10 is slidably mounted upon a supporting rod 12 which is carried by supports 13 and 14 at the opposite ends thereof and to maintain the magazine 10 against turning about its supporting rod 12 it is provided at its lower part with two spaced guide rollers 1S that engage opposite sides of a guide rod 16 which is also carried by the supports 13 and 14. As here indicated, the magazine 10 carries a plurality of pin ejecting slides 17, each of which have a depth or vertical dimension corresponding exactly with the length of the particular pin to be ejected from the magazine 10 as will hereinafter appear. The lower part of the magazine 10 carries a laterally extending trunnion supported roller 18 which is engaged by a lever or crank arm 19 that has an elongated roller engaging loop portion 20 that will permit a straight line movement of the magazine 10 as a lever or crank arm 19 is moved in an arc about a pivotal axis forming a shaft 22 that supports a frame 23 upon which the lever or crank arm 19 is mounted. As indicated in this gure Of the drawings, the crank arm 19 is shown as in a right hand position where it is positioned and held by one of ten camming plates 24 each of which are shown as moved toward the axis forming shaft 22 by pneumatic pistons 25 that are supplied by air under pressure from a suitable source through air pipes 26. As here shown the camming plates 24 are arranged edgewise in space relation at opposite sides of the crank arm pivotal axis forming shaft 22. Each of the ten camming plates 24, as shown at the left side of this view, have differently inclined camming faces 27. At this point it will be noted that the frame 23 which carries the lever or crank arm 19 also carries .two oppositely positioned cam plate engaging rollers 28 and 29 which, as is more clearly shown in FIGURE 2 of the drawings, extend throughout the area in which the several camming plates 24 operate. Therefore, since the camming plates 24 are each provided with differently inclined camming surfaces 27 it will be seen that when any of these camming plates 24 engage the rollers 28 and 29 the lever arm 19 will be moved to .and held in different angular positions that will be de-termined by the incline of the particular camming plate 24 that is at the time in operation. This movement of the crank arm 19 will not be in the form of a continuous motion but will be in a step by step manner where the magazine 10 will be held in a particular position until a different camming plate 24 is operated. With this arrangement it will also be understood that the arcuate movements of the lever or crank arm 19 will not necessarily be in the same direction. In other words by operating the camming plates 24 in a predetermined manner the magazine 10 may be moved back and forth into different position between its limits of travel to align the pin ejecting slides 17 thereof with a stationary slide operating member as will hereinafter appear.

The supports 13 and 14 which carry the magazine supporting shaft 12 and the guide rod 16 are shown as secured to the upper surface of a supporting table or bench member 30 and the camming plates 24 are carried by a plate 31 at the under side of the table top 30. End frame members 32 and 33 extend downwardly from the plate 31 and form .a support for the pivotal axis forming shaft 22 with the shaft 22 extending at right angle to the line of movement of the magazine 10 along its supporting shaft 12. The camming plates 24 are guided and held in spaced relation 4at the upper edges by downwardly extending pins 34 and at their lower edges these camming plates 24 slide over spaced supporting rods 35 that have notches through which the camming plates move. Similarly the pneumatic position members 25 are shown as mounted upon the under side of the plate 31 at opposite sides of the camming plate assembly.

As is more clearly shown in FIGURE 2 of the drawings the camming plates 24 each have an individual pneumatic piston 25 with air pipes 26 by which they can be selectively moved toward the pivotal axis forming shaft 22 and into equalized engagement with the rollers 28 and 29. As this occurs a camming plate 24 with a differently inclined camming face will be brought into engagement with the oppositely disposed rollers 28 and 29 carried by the frame 23 and thus determine the position of lthe lever arm of crank 19 which extends upwardly therefrom. In this connection it should be pointed out that the pneumatic pistons 25 are operated independently of each other and air under pressure is admitted to the cylinders 36 in which these pistons are mounted through the pipes 26 that have valves with an air ven-t which when the valve is closed will permit the free escape of air from the cylinder 36 from which the then operating piston 25 has moved. Therefore as a subsequent piston 25 is operated, irrespective of in what order this occurs, the carnming plate 24 previously operating upon the rollers 28 and 29 will be free to return to an idle position. As a result the crank arm or lever 19 will be moved in a step by step manner in any direction from its last position as will be determined by the particular camming plate 24 that is operating upon the crank operating rollers 28 and 29.

By now referring to FIGURES 3 and 4 of the drawings it will be seen that the crank arm controlling means including the camming plates 24 and the rollers 28 and 29 carried by the crank arm supporting frame23 are disposed at one side of the magazine 10 so that the crank arm 19 may move freely in a slot 37 of the base plate 30 and out of interference with .a movable pin carrying key plugv preloader 38 into which the tumbler pins selected from the magazine 10 are deposited by the slides 17 for transfer to a key plug 39 which is held by a key plug supporting member 40 which as shown in FIGURE 4 of the drawings as located outwardly at the end of the path of movement of the pin preloader 38. The preloader as here indicated has a right angle base portion 41 that is mounted to slide along two spaced supporting rods 42 and 43 that extend parallel with the path of travel of the pin preloader 37 and are mounted below the table 30 upon brackets 44 at the ends thereof. As indicated in these latter tigures of the drawings in the pin magazine 10 has ten pin accommodating chambers into which pins of lengths corresponding to their numerical designations are fed through the tubes 11, which as previously indicated, lead from Vibratory bowl type pin orienting devices from which ten diierent pins numerically identied by numerals to 9, are delivered in -a properly oriented manner with the rounded ends of the pins downward. Operating in conjunction with each ofthe ten chambers of the magazine there is an individual pin transferring slide 17, one of which as is here shown has been projected through the magazine 10 in a righthand direction by means of a slide displacing plunger 45 that is operated by an electropneumatic valve that is mounted in a fixed position in a housing 46 Iat the left of the magazine 10. The slide 17 as indicated in FIGURES 1 and 3 of the drawings are of different vertical dimensions to correspond with the lengths of the particular tumbler pin to be ejected from the magazine 10. As here indicated, the slide 17 is shown as projected from the pin cavity of the magazine 10 designated by the numeral one. When a particular slide 17 is in this projected position, a tumbler pin, here designated by the numeral 43, will be dropped into a chamber of the preloader 38 as the preloader is positioned opposite the pin ejecting plunger 45 as described in my parent application. As here shown, additional similar pins 47 of the same length are being fed through .a related tube 11 where they will be held until the slide 17 returns to its initial position for another one of the pins which will be subsequently dropped into a chamber 48 of the slide 17. To expedite and speed up the transfer of pins and insure their displacement from the slides 17, there is provided an overhanging air jet nozzle 49 through which a blast of air is projected as the slides 17 are brought into register with the pin accommodating chambers of the preloader 38, during the pin ejecting operation of the slides 17.

It should Ibe here added that since the slide displacing plunger 45 is mounted in a fixed position with respect to the magazine 10 as shown in FIGURE 4, it will be necessary in order to completely lill the live cavities, designated by the numeral 50, of the preloader 38 to also provide means for moving the preloader in a step by step manner in synchronized relation with the movements of the magazine 10. As set forth in any parent application, this is accomplished by moving the preloader 38 in a step by step manner into live different positions starting from one end of its travel. This will bring the several pin accommodating cavities 50 thereof progressively into alignment with the plunger 45 so that a ditferent tumbler pins 47 will he ejected from the magazine and into a dilerent cavity 50 of the preloader. In this operation the selection of the particular tumbler pin will be determined as the position .of the magazine 10 is moved by the crank arm 19 in response to the operation of the camming plates 24. When the pins thus selected are deposited into the chambers 50, the :preloader 38 will eventually move independently [of the magazine 10 and the collected pins will be deposited into the key plug 39 to complete the operation. The control for this operation of the preloader 38 is to form the subject matter of a further application for patent an-d for simplicity is omitted in the drawings of this case.

Reference is now made to FIGURES 5 and 6 of the drawings wherein there is diagrammatically illustrated the manner in which the positioning of the magazine and the ejection of pins therefrom by the plunger 45 is controlled by the camming plates 24. As here shown, the inner supporting bars 33 over which the camming plates 24 ride, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings, each carry properly located switch operating pins 51 that are adapted 'and arranged to operate microswitches 52 that are mounted at opposite sides of the axis of the crank arm or lever 19 upon the supporting bars 33. Each of these switches are connected through common conductors 53 and 54 through a source of power 55 for the electromagnetic valve that is disposed in the housing 46. These connections are completed in a conventional manner through grounding terminals 56 and 57. When any one of the camming plates 24 is operated into this nal crank arm operating position, a related switch 52 will be operated and cause the plunger 45 to engage the adjacent pin ejecting slide 17 and project a pin from the magazine 10 and into the preloader 38 as -described above. The housing 46 is here shownas having a connection 58 through which compressed air is supplied for operating the plunger 45.

A further novel feature of the invention resides in the fact that the straight line movement of the camming plates 24 is transmitted to also result in a straight line movement of the magazine 10 through the pivotally mounted lever or crank arm 19 between the limit-s of travel of the crank arm 19 as indicated by dot and. dash lines in FIGURE 6 of the drawings.

In the above description the operating characteristics of the several elements have been fully set forth and it is believed that no further description as to the operations should be necessary. However it may be added that the movements of the camming plates 24 will be determined by the particular coniguration in the bits of a key to be eventually used with the key plug 39. This may be determined in accordance with an established program, by visual selection `or in the manner set forth in my co- [pending application entitled Tumbler Identifying Key Reader in which there is shown a means for electromagnetically determining the character of a particular tumbler pin that is to be used in particular cavities of the key plug 39. Further as pointed out above each of the camming plates 24 will have a camming surface 27 'corresponding to a tumbler pin delivering position of the magazine at which time a pin will be ejected from the magalZine by the plunger 45 as the magazine is brought to rest in any particular lposition by the crank arm 19. In this operation it is to be also understood that the preloader 38 will at the same time be stepped through a series of its tive positions to receive a tumbler pin as it is ejected from the magazine 10 for transfer to the key plug 39.

While I have, for the sake of clearness and in order to disclose my invention so that the same can be readily understood, described and illustrated a specic form and arrangement, I desire to have it understood that this invention is not limited to the specific form disclosed, but may be embodied in other Ways that will suggest themselves to persons skilled in the art. It is believed that this invention is new and all such changes as come wit-hin the scope of the appended claims are to be considered as part of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a apparatus for selecting and assembling the key engaging )pins of a tumbler lock to conform with the bits of a key, the combination of a movable pin supply magazine having segregated groups of tumbler pins of different lengths, stationary means for ejecting pins from said supply magazine as said magazine assumes different positions relative thereto, a preloading means movable with respect to said stationary pin ejecting means for transferring -pins ejected from said supply magazine to a cylinder lock plug, and means for supporting a pinless key plug in a position to receive the pins ejected from said pin supply magazine as said preloading means is positioned thereover.

2. In an apparatus lfor selecting and assembling the key engaging pins of a tumbler lock to conform with the bits of a particular key, the combination of a pin supply magazine movable in a straight line lpath having segregated groups of tumbler pins of different lengths, stationary means for ejecting tumbler pins from said pin supplying magazine as said magazine assumes different positions relative thereto, a pre-loading means having pin accommodating openings for receiving and transferring pins ejected from said lpin supply magazine to a cylinder lock plug, a lever arm supporting frame pivotally mounted `for movement about an axis at a right angle to the path of movement of said pin supply magazine having axially extending parallel rollers one at each side of its pivotal axis, a lever arm supported upon and extending radially from the pivotal axis of said lever arm supporting frame, a plurality of oppositely disposed vertically extending roller engaging members diierentially inclined faces for engagement with the rollers carried by said lever supporting frame, and means for selectively moving said roller engaging members into uniform engagement with the rollers carried by said lever supporting frame, whereby said lever arm will `operate to move said pin supply magazine into dilerent positions along its path of travel as determined by the different angles of the roller engaging face of the roller engaging members carried by said lever arm supporting frame.

3. In an apparatus `for assembling the bit engaging pins in the key plug of a tumbler lock in conformity with a pre-determined program, the combination of a movable pin supply magazine having segregated groups of pins of different lengths arranged in a straight line, means for ejecting diferent pins from said segregated groups as said magazine is moved into different positions with respect thereto and pneumatic means for controlling the movements of said pin supply magazine, whereby a proper tumbler pin `as determined by a pre-arranged program will be ejected from the segregated groups of said supply magazine as said pin ejecting means operates.

4. In an apparatus for selecting and assembling the -key engaging pins of a tumbler lock to conform with a pre-determined program, the combination of a pin supply magazine movable in a straight line path having segregated groups of tumbler pins of dilerent lengths, stationary means adjacent said movable magazine for ejecting tumbler pins from said pin supply magazine as said magazine assumes different positions relative thereto, `a key plug :loading means having pin accommodating openings for receiving and transferring pins ejected from said pin supply magazine to a tumbler lock key plug, a lever arm supporting frame pivotally mounted for movement about an axis at a right angle to the path of movement of said pin supply magazine having axially extending parallel rollers one at each side of its pivotal axis, a lever arm carried by and extending radially from the pivotal axis of -said lever arm supporting frame connected at its extending end to said pin supply magazine and a plurality of `oppositely disposed vertically extending and slidably mounted 4roller engaging members having differentially inclined camrning surfaces for engagement with the rollers carried by said lever arm supporting frame, and pneumatic means for selectively moving said roller engaging members into engagement with the rollers carried at the opposite sides of the pivotal 4axis of said lever supporting frame, whereby said lever ar-m will operate to move said pin supply magazine into diierent positions along its path of travel as determined by the angles of the camming surfaces of the roller engaging members carried by said lever arm supporting frame.

5. In a stepped motion transmitting means for moving a tumbler pin carrying magazine along a straight line path and positioning said magazine in any one of a plurality of different positions with respect to `a pin ejecting means, the combination of a movably mounted pin supply magazine having segregated groups of pins arranged in alignment with its path of movement, a crank arm carrying frame pivotally mounted upon an axis Iat a right angle to the line of movement of said pin supply magazine, a crank arm 'carried by lsaid frame having a driving connection at its end with said pin supply magazine, said crank arm carrying frame having a roller mounted equidistant at each side of its pivotal axis and in alignment with the point of connection of said crank arm with said magazine, a plurality 'of roller engaging members arranged edgewise in spaced relation along the axis of said rollers and movable in paths parallel to the line of movement of said lpin supply magazine, and means for moving each of said roller engaging members individually into contact with the rollers carried by said crank arm carrying `frame, characterized by the fact said roller engaging members each have a diierent 'angularly disposed roller enga-ging face, whereby the position of said pin carrying magazine along its path of travel with respect to the axis :of said supporting frame will be determined as said roller engaging members are individually moved into engagement with said rollers by said last means.

6. In a stepped motion transmitting means for moving an article carrying magazine along a straight line path and positioning said magazine in any one of a plurality of ditferent positions with respect to an article ejecting mean, the combination of a movably mounted supply magazine having segregated groups of articles arranged in carried by Said frame having a driving connection at its `end with Asaid magazine, said crank arm carrying frame having a roller mounted equi-distant at each side of its pivotal axis and in alignment with the point of connection of said crank arm with said magazine, a plurality of roller engaging plates arranged cdgewise -in spaced relation along the axis of said rollers and movable in paths parallel to the line of movement of said magazine, and means for moving each vof said roller engaging plates individually into contact with the rollers carried by said crank arm carrying frame, characterized by the fact said roller engaging plates each have a different angularly disposed roller engaging face, whereby the position of said magazine along its path of travel with respect to the axis s of ysaid supporting frame will be determined as said roller engaging lplates are individually moved into engagement with said rollers by said last means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,437,832 12/1922 Bradley 29-464 1,679,759 s/1928 Best 29-211 2,909,950 10/1959 Francis 29--208 3,061,147 10/1962 vilmerding 221- 268 3,066,395 12/1962 Hopkins 29-203 3,114,748 11/ 1963 Doll et al. 29-208 3,226,811 1/1966 Roland 29-211 JOHN F. CAMPBELL, Primary Examiner.

THOMAS H. EAGER, Examiner. 

1. IN A APPARATUS FOR SELECTING AND ASSEMBLING THE KEY ENGAGING PINS OF A TUMBLER LOCK TO CONFORM WITH THE BITS OF A KEY, THE COMBINATION OF A MOVABLE PIN SUPPLY MAGAZINE HAVING SEGREGATED GROUPS OF TUMBLER PINS OF DIFFERENT LENGTHS, STATIONARY MEANS FOR EJECTING PINS FROM SAID SUPPLY MAGAZINE AS SAID MAGAZINE ASSUMES DIFFERENT POSITIONS RELATIVE THERETO, A PRELOADING MEANS MOVABLE WITH RESPECT TO SAID STATIONARY PIN EJECTING MEANS FOR TRANSFERRING PINS EJECTED FROM SAID SUPPLY MAGAZINE TO A CYLINDER LOCK PLUG, AND MEANS FOR SUPPORTING A PINLESS KEY PLUG IN A POSITION TO RECEIVE THE PINS EJECTED FROM SAID PIN SUPPLY MAGAZINE AS SAID PRELOADING MEANS IS POSITIONED THEREOVER. 